posted by sooyup
on
Daily trivia,
Family matters
It’s Mothers’ Day and I must be careful what I say, lest I be condemned as a thoughtless ingrate. If I think about the idea of motherhood, it’s Emma I think of rather than my own mother. Emma has a relationship with Eva which is based upon unquestioning love and affection. I am not sure that my mother’s vocabulary included the word love. We never discovered why. Perhaps it was something to do with being the eldest child, and having ten brothers! In defining my relationship with my mother, words like discipline, obedience, and respect come to mind, rather than affection. If she showed love, it manifested itself in keeping a clean house, clothing us decently, and putting meals on the table. Sadly, this applied equally to her relationship with my father. Ironically, the same thing can be said of Emma’s mother. Don’t get me wrong, neither of us had an unhappy childhood, but we both felt catered for rather than loved. Perhaps having this in common helped us bond so closely to each other. Knowing the joy of loving someone, and being able to express that love, we feel sorry for both our mothers.
It’s Mothers’ Day and I must be careful what I say, lest I be condemned as a thoughtless ingrate. If I think about the idea of motherhood, it’s Emma I think of rather than my own mother. Emma has a relationship with Eva which is based upon unquestioning love and affection. I am not sure that my mother’s vocabulary included the word love. We never discovered why. Perhaps it was something to do with being the eldest child, and having ten brothers! In defining my relationship with my mother, words like discipline, obedience, and respect come to mind, rather than affection. If she showed love, it manifested itself in keeping a clean house, clothing us decently, and putting meals on the table. Sadly, this applied equally to her relationship with my father. Ironically, the same thing can be said of Emma’s mother. Don’t get me wrong, neither of us had an unhappy childhood, but we both felt catered for rather than loved. Perhaps having this in common helped us bond so closely to each other. Knowing the joy of loving someone, and being able to express that love, we feel sorry for both our mothers. 
